Southwest Airlines to Start Non-stop Service to San Diego from New Orleans

December 17, 2013

NEW ORLEANS, LA – After announcing about 1.4 million more seats last winter in New Orleans, Southwest Airlines is increasing air service from the New Orleans market with new non-stop service to San Diego, CA beginning on April 8, 2014 on their 737 aircraft.

Southwest currently operates 46 flights from New Orleans. Air Tran Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest, operates 7 daily flights. Southwest (together with AirTran) is the largest airline in the New Orleans market with over 42% of the market share at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Another new non-stop destination in 2014 for Southwest will include Atlanta beginning Jan. 7.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stated, “This additional air service is great news for our city. I believe it shows that the demand for service to New Orleans continues to grow. Demand is always the key in gaining new air service to a community.”

“The maiden flight to San Diego will increase our service to the great state of California”, said New Orleans Aviation Board Chairwoman Cheryl Teamer. “We anticipate this flight will be very popular with our traveling public.”

“This makes for the eight announcement of non-stop service from New Orleans in last three years which includes two international flights. New Orleans region’s robust growth shows up in Airport numbers and it is significant win for our community,” stated Iftikhar Ahmad, Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. “The new San Diego destination brings the number of non-stop destinations from New Orleans on all of the airlines that serve us to a total of 39.”